Cup for milking machines



June 11, 1946. E SHURTS ET AL CUP FOR MILKING MAGHINES Filed Nov. 15, 1944 llll Patented June 11, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CUP FOR MILKING MACHINES Englebert Shurts and Lloyd F. Bender, Waukesha, Wis.

3 Claims. 1

applied vacuum, thereby alternately expanding and contracting the inner wall.

Another object of our invention is to provide such an arrangement that may be applied to existing cup shells without any mechanical g changes.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a means for retaining the inner liner in a position that will insure close contact with the outer shell and allow for proper adjustment to take care of the stretch of the material.

Other and further objects of our invention Will become more apparent as the description proceeds when taken in conjunction with the drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is an outer view of the assembled metal outer shell and exible inner liner.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the assembly of the metal outer shell and the iiexible inner liner, and

Figure 3 is the retaining ring in cross section showing the metal insert within the rubber outer shell.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views and referring to the same, the character I shows an outer teat cup shell constructed of metal, and having a side outlet nipple II for contact with the vacuum source. There is an inner liner con structed of rubber or the like, comprising a main body I2, a head portion I 3, provided with an` aperture I4, of ilexible construction for contact with the teat. The lower portion of the body I2 tapers into a milk line tube I 5, which is provided with a plurality of outwardly extending ribs or beads I 6. This milk line tube I5 extends 'doWnward through the metallic ferrule I1 forming the lower portion of the cup shell I D.

The upper portion of the shell ID isl outwardly disposed at I8 for receiving the ange I9 extending downward from the head portion I2 of the inner liner.

A retaining member 20, of annular contour, made of exible material such as rubber or the like provided with an aperture 2I at its lower 55 end and a gradually tapering side wall 22 terinmates into an aperture 23 at its upper end. A metallic washer member 24, provided with an aperture 25, is inserted into the enclosure of the retaining member, and is of an outside diameter equal to the inside diameter of the walls 22 or a trifle larger.

This retaining member is arranged to be applied over the milk line tube I5 through the aperture 2|, and the tapered side walls being resilient, iit4 over the ferrule I'l on the lower end of the cup shell I0 through the aperture 23. By exerting a pulling strain to the exible tube I5, the beads I6 will be forced through the aperture 2| and the flange I9 will engage the outwardly disposed section I8 of the upper end of the shell I 0, and when the pulling strain is released, the beads I6 will force the metallic washer 24 against the edge of the ferrule I1 at a point of contact 26, thereby sealing the vacuum chamber 21 between the shell I 0 and the inner liner I2. 4

'Ihe arrangement of the beads I6 and their spaced relation to one another will insure definite contact at all times and allow for the elongation and stretch of the inner liner.

It is manifest to anyone familiar with the art that the arrangement and construction of the parts illustrated and described will provide a means for denitely accomplishing the purpose for which' they are intended and will apply themselves to any conventional type of cup shell. However, we do not Wish to conne ourselves to the specific construction shown, for in the manufacture of the parts, there are many changes possible, and we reserve the rights to make such changes as may present themselves without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope `of` the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States is:

l. A device of the character described comprising in combination with a rigid outer shell open at its top having a, ferrule of a diameter smaller than the shell body at its lower end, and a flexible lining disposed within said outer shell, said liningV provided with an enlarged head portion at its upper end and terminating into a milk line tube at its lower end, said tube provided with a plurality of outwardly extending beads, of an annular retaining member constructed of exible material having an aperture at its bottom arranged for engagement with the milk line tube of said exible lining, said retaining member provided with a tapered wall terminating into an aperture at its top for engaging the ferrule portion at the lower end of said rigid outer shell, a metallic rigid ring disposed within said retaining member, the elastic tension of said flexible inner liner causing said outwardly extending beads on said milk line tube to retain said retaining member in contact with the bottom of said ferrule on the rigid outer shell.

2. An annular retaining ring of the character described constructed of a ilegible materia1 and having an aperture at its lower face, an upwardly projecting wall forming an aperture at its top, a rigid ring disposed within said flexible retaining ring, and a rigid outer shell open at its upper and lower ends, in combination with a flexible inner liner, said liner provided with an enlarged head portion at its top and merging into a tube at its lower end, said tube having a larger diameter than the opening in the lower end of said retaining ring causing said retaining member to be held in direct contact with the lower end of said rigid outer shell when the tube is inserted through said retaining ring and caused to be stretched,

the enlarged head portion of said liner contacting the opening on the upper end of said rigid outer shell. f A

3. A device of the character described consisting of an annular retaining ring of a flexible material comprising an aperture at its base, an upwardly projecting wall forming an aperture at its upper end, and an annular ring of rigid material inserted into the said flexible retaining ring, in combination with' a flexible liner, a rigid outer shell, said outer shell open at its upper and lower ends, said flexible liner provided with an enlarged portion for contact with the opening of said outer shell at its top, said flexible liner merging into a tubular member at its bottom having an outside diameter greater than the inside diameter of the aperture in said retaining ring causing frictional contact with the lower opening in the rigid outer shell wh'en the tube is inserted through the aperture in said retaining ring.

- ENGLEBERT SHURTS.

LLOYD F. BENDER. 

